World Book Day passes unnoticed

Libraries vanish, book markets fade and funds shrink amid social media rise

RAWALPINDI:

Like the rest of the world, Pakistan observed World Book Day on Thursday, but in Rawalpindi no event was held at any university, college, school, or arts council to mark the occasion.

From 1950 to 2000, Rawalpindi had 14 small and large libraries for book and newspaper reading, which remained full throughout the day with students, working women and youth, many of whom had to wait for seats.

Saddar had the American Centre and British Centre where reading activities took place. Today, all these libraries have disappeared, leaving only two government libraries in name - one under the Municipal Corporation and the other under the cantonment - both lacking public access and variety of books.

With only a few thousand rupees in funding and two or three employees, these libraries have become symbolic, with staff merely marking attendance.

Libraries on Murree Road and Saddar have shut down, including the large Parsi library near Media Gate in the 1990s. In their place, food and utensil shops have emerged.

Between 1960 and 2005, mobile libraries and park library projects existed but proved unsuccessful.

Even the open library alongside the Miyawaki forest on Murree Road has been discontinued. At present, no government project exists in Rawalpindi to promote reading.

Previously, footpaths on Fridays and Sundays were filled with books and people took solace in the saying, "Shoes in showcases, books on footpaths," as buying and selling continued. Now, even this trend has nearly vanished. Earlier, students could find books on history, sports, Islam, interior design, and cooking from these markets. Popular series like Imran Series, Tarzan, and various women's novels encouraged reading habits, but this culture has also faded.

Government offices once displayed books behind chairs and on tables, now replaced by large LCD screens. Women who once bought cookbooks have stopped. From 1940 to 2005, children's educational books were regularly purchased by parents, but this practice has also declined.

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger have replaced reading, though this is seen more as distraction than literacy. Even college and university libraries have witnessed an 80 per cent decline in book borrowing.

World Book Day aims to highlight the importance of books. While most countries observe it on April 23, the UK and US mark it on March 4. The tradition dates back to 1616 in Catalonia, Spain, where men gifted roses and literary works like Don Quixote and Shakespeare's plays. In 1995, UNESCO declared April 23 as World Book Day.

Despite global recognition, in Pakistan the day is reduced to routine statements such as "books are man's best friend," often issued by officials who themselves do not read. Headmaster Association President Dr Sagheer Alam said that when Muslims valued reading, they led the world, but abandoning it led to decline.